GROUND-WATER STUDIES

In fiscal year 1979, the Water Resources Division completed a series of professional papers, Summary Appraisals of the Nation's Ground-Water Resources, covering 21 regions in the United States. The appraisals address matters of urban area water management, land and water use planning, and the quantity and quality of ground-water supplies.

In some areas of the country, a great deal is known about the ground-water resources. However, integrated information on the aquifer systems for the entire country is inadequate for present needs. It is apparent that with the growing water demands for energy-producing industries, for irrigation, and to meet the needs of rapid urban growth, pumpage of ground water will increase dramatically in the coming decades. Information on ground-water resources must be upgraded if effective management of both surface- and ground-water resources is to be accomplished.

The Regional Aquifer-System Analysis Program (RASA) was established to develop ground-water information from a regional perspective, thus providing a basis both for regional management and for more detailed hydrologic investigations at the secondary scale. Twentyeight aquifer systems have been identified for study under this Program. Some of these systems are interconnected aquifers and aquitards; others are simply groups of aquifers which are hydraulically independent but which are sufficiently similar to be studied in a single effort. Together, these 28 aquifer systems account for most of the ground-water reserves of the country.

Although each investigation is designed to fit the particular problems of its study area, all of the projects will use computer-based simulations to analyze the existing flow system and to provide predictive capabilities through which the effects of future pumpage, waste disposal, and other stresses can be evaluated. The simulations will be based upon a full assemblage of existing data and such new data as is required to fill critical gaps in the available information. In some cases, collection of this new data will require extensive field operations.

Information will be assembled on the quality of water throughout each aquifer system, again by bringing together all existing information and collecting any field data required to fill the gaps. An effort will be made to

interpret this water-quality information in terms of the original flow pattern and the changes that have occurred in response to development, as inferred from the hydraulic simulations. Using the water-quality data in conjunction with predicted flow patterns, as derived from the hydraulic models, some insight may be gained into future quality problems.

Products from each study will consist of a series of reports, beginning with summaries of data as it is assembled, and culminating in interpretative reports including the results of predictive simulations.

The program will continue for approximately 10 years and will utilize such advances in investigative technology as may occur during that period. The average length of study of each aquifer will be approximately 4 years. Three studies were initiated in fiscal year 1978-the High Plains, the northern Great Plains, and the Central Valley of California. Studies of the Southeastern Carbonate aquifers, the Northern Midwest sandstone aquifers, and the Southwest Alluvial basins were initiated in fiscal year 1979.

Significant accomplishments under the RASA Program to date include the development of maps showing water quality, water level, and aquifer characteristics in all of the projects started in fiscal year 1978. Work on similar maps is underway for studies initiated in fiscal year 1979. Several test holes have been completed, and considerable data have been acquired from oil company sources. In the latter category, a drill stem test and a water sampling operation have been conducted on an exploratory well 50 miles off the coast of Florida confirming the existence of fresh water in the Continental Shelf sediments at that distance offshore.

The RASA studies are designed to complement the Geological Survey's continuing program of cooperative ground-water investigations. As a rule, investigations initiated under the Federal-State Cooperative Program are of subregional scope and frequently are oriented to the solution of specific problems. Because the RASA studies are designed to look at the regional picture, they will serve to tie together local investigations, whether past, present, or future; in terms of simulation, they will provide boundary flows for detailed local models. Thus, the RASA Program is expected to act as a stimulus for subregional and local hydrologic investigations.

OFFICE OF WATER DATA COORDINATION

In fiscal year 1979, the Office of Water Data Coordination (OWDC) continued its coordinating activities with Federal and other organizations and individuals. OWDC is counseled on these activities by two committees. The Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data (IACWD) is composed of representatives from more than 30 Federal agencies. The Advisory Committee on Water Data for Public Use is composed of members from outside the Federal Government and includes representatives from professional and technical societies, State and regional water agencies, universities, and consultants. The OWDC activity involves the planning, designing, and documenting of water-data programs; development of standards for data acquisition and handling; and coordination of data activities of all Federal agencies.

At the 13th meeting of the IACWD, sponsorship of the Interagency Sedimentation Committee of the Water Resources Council was transferred to the IACWD. Now named the Sub-committee on Sedimentation, this working group published its annual report entitled Notes on Sedimentation Activities-Calendar Year 1977.

The first volume, which relates to coal resources, of a special five-volume index to the Catalog of Information on Water Data was published. Prepared in cooperation with the Office of Surface Mining, this index will provide information on the availability of water-resources data for the major coal provinces of the United States. In addition to the volume published for the Eastern coal province, the remaining volumes will cover the Interior coal province, the northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain coal provinces, the Pacific Coast and Alaska coal provinces, and the Gulf Coast coal province.

Developing standards for collecting and handling water data is an important continuing interagency activity sponsored by OWDC. In the past year, chapter 5, "Chemical and Physical Quality of Water and Sediment," was updated, and chapters on "Snow and Ice" and "Hydrometeorological Observations" were completed.

Two new working groups were established to prepare chapters for the National Handbook of Recommended Methods for Water-Data Acquisition. The chapters will cover "Water Use Data" and "Data Handling and Exchange."

NATIONAL WATER DATA EXCHANGE

The National Water Data Exchange (NAWDEX), established in 1976, is a confederation of water-oriented organizations working together on a national basis to improve access to water information by assisting users in the identification, location, and acquisition of needed data. A central program office within the Water Resources Division coordinates this linkage and provides overall management of the program.

NAWDEX services are available through an expanded nationwide network of 60 Assistance Centers, located in 45 States and Puerto Rico, which provide direct access to NAWDEX and make local-area expertise available to aid in locating needed data. This network includes the facilities of 52 Geological Survey District and Subdistrict Offices, the Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS), the Water Resources Research Institute of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, the lowa Water Resources Data System, the Nebraska Natural Resources Information System, the Great Lakes Information Center, the Utah Division of Water Rights, the Utah State University Center for Water Resources Research, and the Colorado Water Resources Research Institute.

NAWDEX maintains two computerized data bases in the Geological Survey's computer system in Reston, Va., which are accessible by the Assistance Centers. The Water Data Sources Directory contains information compiled for more than 660 organizations. Information on other organizations will be added on a continuing basis. NAWDEX also maintains a nationwide indexing service through its Master Water Data Index. In 1979, this computerized index was expanded to identify more than 310,000 sites for which water data are available. Additional sites are being added on a continuing basis.

NAWDEX also has direct access to and disseminates water data stored in the Environmental Protection Agency's Storage and Retrieval System (STORET) and in the Geological Survey's National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System (WATSTORE). STORET services are available through the NAWDEX program office and through TNRIS. Data from WATSTORE are available through most of the Assistance Centers. NAWDEX also has service-exchange arrangements with the Environmental Data and Information Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Water Resources Scientific Information Center of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Water Document Reference Centre of the Canadian Department of the Environment. Various types of water data are available from data systems of other member organizations. NAWDEX can, therefore, readily assist users to locate data available for a specific geographic area.

FLOODS

BACKWATER AT BRIDGES AND

DENSELY WOODED FLOOD PLAINS

A series of 22 Hydrologic Investigations Atlases designed to improve methods of computing the backwater effects of bridges on floodflows in densely vegetated areas was published by the Geological Survey in 1978-79. The atlases covered 10 sites in Mississippi, 7 sites in Louisiana, and 5 sites in Alabama. Thirty-five floods were measured.

The atlases provide flood data needed to develop improved computer models that can better predict the backwater effects where wide densely wooded flood plains are crossed by highway embankments and singleopening bridges. The reports and the methodology were developed by the Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, the Alabama State Highway Department, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, and the Mississippi State Highway Department.

Bridges and embankments can contribute significantly to the height of floodwaters and the amount of backwater that causes overland flooding. Improved accuracy in predicting these effects will not only result in more economical bridge designs but also can reduce substantially the potential damage from future floods.

Each atlas contains a descriptive text and shows flood measurements. Data are presented in metric units on enlarged topographic maps with scales ranging from 1:2,000 to 1:8,000. Measurements include water depths, velocities, and discharges through bridge openings together with peak water-surface elevations along highway embankments and valley cross sections; roughness coefficient values; and flood-frequency relationships.

DOCUMENTATION OF

MAJOR FLOODS

The Geological Survey and the National Weather Service have a long history of cooperation in monitoring and describing the Nation's hydrologic cycle-the movement of water as atmospheric moisture, as precipitation, as runoff, as streamflow, and as ground water and, finally, its evaporation into the atmosphere to begin the cycle again. The National Weather Service is the Federal agency responsible for monitoring and predicting atmospheric moisture and precipitation, for forecasting riverflow, and for issuing warnings of destructive weather events. The Geological Survey is the primary agency for monitoring the quantity and quality of the Earth-bound water resources. Documentation of major floods in the United States is an example of the cooperative working arrangement between the two agencies. Such investigations of disastrous floods which cause loss of life and billions of dollars in property damage provide the technical information needed to cope with future floods of catastrophic magnitude.

In 1979, in cooperation with the National Weather Service, the Geological Survey published Professional Paper 1087, Maine Coastal Storm and Flood of February 2, 1976. The report documents the meteorological and hydrological conditions associated with the flooding and contains a description of storm damage, including flood elevations at various locations.

Professional papers documenting the major floods which were under investigations in 1979 will be published. These are Mississippi and Alabama-April 1979; central Texas-August 1978; Powder River and Bighorn River basins, Montana and Wyoming-May 1978; Greater Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas-September 1977; Johnstown area, western Pennsylvania-July 1977; Appalachian region of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia-April 1977; and Big Thompson River and Cache La Poudre River basins, Larimer and Weld Counties, Colorado-July-August 1976.

MISSION

The Conservation Division performs several evaluation and regulatory functions concerning the leasing, classification, operations, and use of mineral and water resources on Federal and Indian lands. These functions were delegated to the U.S. Geological Survey by the Secretary of the Interior and are accomplished through two major missions:

• Evaluation of resources, which includes the classification of public lands to identify areas containing potentially valuable leasable minerals and areas valuable for waterpower and water-storage purposes and evaluation of mineral resources on tracts of public land that are made available for private development through a competitive leasing process, are exchanged or are sold.

• Supervision of operations, which is associated with the exploration, development, and production of minerals from leased Federal, Indian, and Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lands, including the collection of royalties for minerals produced and certain rentals. The Geological Survey acquired data for the sound development of mineral resources, for protection of the environmental characteristics of public lands and also supported the missions of other Federal agencies. These agencies include the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Reclamation within the Department of the Interior and the Department of Defense, the Forest Service, the General Services Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Energy outside the Department.

Production and value of all minerals produced from Federal and Indian lands are provided on a calendar year basis to be compatible with statistics published by the Department of Energy, the State governments, and private industry and to facilitate comparison of data.

In 1979, Federal and Indian lands supplied a significant portion of the Nation's mineral production. More than 14.8 percent of the oil, 29.42 percent of all natural gas, and 10.4 percent of the Nation's coal were produced from leases on Indian and Federal lands onshore and offshore. This production clearly demonstrates the importance of the contribution from these lands to the Nation's supply of petroleum and other minerals and has had a significant impact on the Nation's economy. For example, in 1979, the value of all mineral commodities produced from leased Federal and Indian lands exceeded $12 billion. Lease rentals, royalties from production of minerals, and various bonus payments provided more than $6 billion in revenue for the Federal Government. Tables 22 to 27 containing detailed statistical information can be obtained upon request from the Survey. The authority to classify public lands and to regulate mineral development on Federal and Indian lands, to protect the environment, and to collect a fair return from ex

tracted resources lies in a complex body of mineral and land laws, some of which date back to the 1870's.

Congress stipulated in the Act of March 3, 1879, which created the U.S. Geological Survey, that the Director of the Survey should classify the public lands to identify features pertaining to land values for many purposes. In 1906, the President directed the Secretary of the Interior to immediately withdraw from entry all valuable coal lands on the public domain. Coal lands in Alabama, Arkansas, and Wyoming were withdrawn and later classified under this directive. Subsequently, Congress passed the Withdrawal Act of 1910 which authorized the President to withdraw public lands from settlement, location, sale, or entry. This Act resulted in the immediate reservation of about 100 million acres of public lands for their potential coal reserves. Once withdrawn, the Geological Survey began to examine these lands and to classify them; the lands found to have no coal were restored to entry, and those found to contain workable coal beds were appraised and priced at varying amounts per acre. Because the lands withdrawn included some lands that were valuable for farming, Congress passed the Separation Acts of 1909 and 1910 which provided for the separation of the surface estate from the subsurface estate, thus permitting land claimants to obtain patents to the land surface while reserving to the United States the mineral deposits and the right to prospect and mine them.

The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 ended the practice of disposing of coal lands at appraised values and provided for the leasing of coal and certain other mineral commodities. The leasable minerals on public lands now include oil, gas, coal, potash, sodium, phosphate, oil shale, asphaltic minerals, sulphur (only in New Mexico and Louisiana), and geothermal resources. Under the provisions of the 1920 Act as amended and supplemented, a permit to explore public lands for minerals other than oil, gas, oil shale, and geothermal resources may be obtained; however, if the land is determined by the Geological Survey to contain a known leasable mineral deposit, it is subject to competitive bidding for a lease. All minerals on acquired and Indian lands are leasable. A les see is required to pay the Federal Government a stipulated royalty on production. Other laws authorize the leasing and management of metallic and nonmetallic minerals on Indian lands, railroad and other rights-of-way across public lands, acquired lands, and Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lands.

Pursuant to these various statuatory authorities, the Secretary of the Interior has promulgated numerous rules and procedures pertaining to the development of minerals on the Federal and Indian lands in the Code of Federal Regulations. The principal codes governing operations on Federal mineral leases are as follows: • Outer Continental Shelf Leasing Regulations-Part 3300 of Title 43.

• Outer Continental Shelf Operating Regulations-Parts 225a, 250, and 260 (Proposed) of Title 30.